Jabba's POV
We, ABM students, were lined up in front of the stage beside STEM line. Malapit kami sa stage kaya dinig namin ang bawat sinasabi ng emcee enclosed with the squeaky tone at the end of his voice.
"Outstanding and talented students are the products of ZSU. All of successful business men, politicians, noble artist, and international officials were graduated here in ZSU as they attained high education. If you're studying in this prestigious university, there will be more chances that you will be a high achiever or a late bloomer during the semester period. Even this huge batch could acquired it too."
He wandered his sight on the crowd. The manner that he has spoken, it seems the school wanted to shape us into something new. Does he mean they can change the behavior and mindset of this worst batch?
It sounds impossible yet fascinating.
"ZSU is a top-notcher when it comes to student development among all-known universities. Every student must undergo to exercise their skills, talents, and most importantly, knowledge. That is why I am so excited to embrace this batch for their final makeup so they will stand out from the rest."
I nod as I understood.
This private school is indeed very competitive in its qualified service and education. All students who graduated here at ZSU managed to have professional attainment and successful careers. Consequently, stepping into this university as a student is a big jackpot like winning 10-digit dollars.
ZSU is the only top-rated school in history by producing outstanding students that will resource the vast unemployment rate in the Philippines.
"Did you know why ZSU is always mentioned on any board examination or any extracurricular activities? Well, the university owned a very special program that enhances the unity and productivity of the student body. It opens the mind of the youth to the political field that provides them with governmental skills aside from academic and vocational."
Hold on a sec. This is new. I never heard of something like this before. Very unusual to hear about a special program in some universities. They are so unpredictable.
"This special program adheres to the student government program of ZSU which differ in all governmental services of students available in public schools and universities. It is usually called the USG." Sabi nung emcee.
"Ano 'yun, Jabs?" Usthero asked. He is beside at me in the line. Nakikinig din pala siya. I thought he was just flirting with Ezebel at my back.
"Not listed in my vocabulary." I answered.
USG?
I looked up as I played the word in my mind. Hindi siya familiar sa akin. What kind of special program is that? I never thought of a bizarre program that would benefit the student acquiring character development and career empowerment. All I knew about program that usually executed by the institution or government agency are all typically waste of time and not reaching its main objectives. They merely faking it with documentaries through their reports.
"The acronym of USG stands for University Student Government. It has a main objective to unleashed the potentials of senior students to gain technical vocational knowledge practicing governmental skills, advanced administration, and political management among the student body." He stated.
I crossed my arms.
"I am not into politics."
Sahee's POV
"Uy, dzai. Nakikinig ba kayo ng announcement?" Tanong ni Ehseng na tumingin sa harap. Nahihirapan siyang makasagap ng tsismis.
"Hindi, bes."
"Para saan pa, 'Seng?" Tanong ko.
Napakamot si Ehseng sa amin. "Boyset kayo! Mangangapa na naman tayo kapag hindi natin alam 'yung totoong chika. Maglalabasan ulit 'yung mga peyk news."
"I can't make rinig eh. Do you rinig-rinig ba?" Tanong ni Yshie sa amin.
"I don't give a damn care to their blabbering nonsense, bitch! The school has no consideration to their fabulous student like me. How come they are letting my virgin face exposed to the sun out here!" Singhal ni Lando at maarteng hinawakan ang mukha.
"Itanong niyo na lang kay Thelmy mamaya. She's listening attentively up until now." Sabi ni Bhea at sinulyapan namin si Thelmy sa harap habang tutok siya sa pakikinig.
"Saan ba patungkol daw 'yung announcement?" Tanong ko.
"Ang na-understand ko lang is about sa special program." Sabi ni Yshie.
"Special?! Sasali ako dyan, dzai! You know naman, espesyal ako eh." Kumpyansa ni Ehseng sa sarili at inayos pa ang buhaghag niyang buhok.
"SPECIAL CHILD KA?!" Nalolokang asar namin sa kaniya at natawa. Imbis na matuwa si Ehseng sa sinabi niya ay nainis lang siya kaya hinabol niya kami.
Napasigaw ako. Mayroon siyang ginawa sa akin na siyang ikinagulat ko. That was indecent. Napatakip ako sa aking dibdib. Tiningnan ko siya nang masama. "Bad trip ka, 'Seng! Mamatay ka na." Malapit siya sa akin kaya kinuha ko na rin ang pagkakataong hawakan din 'yung dibdib niya.
"KYAAAAAHHH! Manyak ka, dzai! Dinalawa mo."
Natawa ako sa reaksyon niya.
"Huwag niyo akong isali dyan, bes. Nananahimik ako rito-! Napatili si Bhea at napayakap sa kaniyang dibdib. Hinabol niya si Ehseng upang makabalo sa ginawa nito. "Grabe ka sumalat! Kapag maabutan lang kita, wala ka ng hinaharap!"
"Why are you hawak-hawak boobs?" Maarteng usisa ni Yshie na nandidiri.
Napahinto kami sa aming paghahabulan at napatingin sa kaniyang gawi. Natahimik kami at napangiti. Nakaramdam si Yshie ng panganib kaya napatakbo siya agad. Sumugod kami sa kaniya.
"KYAAAAAHHH!" Tili niya. In a short instances, nasakop namin 'yung dalawang bundok ng kaniyang lupain. Ang ending nagbaluan kami sa isa't isa hanggang sa na-impluwensiyahan ang iba pang kaklase namin. Nagkagulo tuloy sa pila ng HUMSS.
"Wala bang hahabol dyan sa akin?!" Parinig ni Lando na nakahalukipkip. Nagtatampo na siya dahil hindi siya kasama sa game. Wala kasi siyang very important requirements sa laro na ito kaya na-OP siya. No boobs, no play.
"Okay lang yan, bayot. It's alright." Pampalubag-loob ni Ehseng na nangangasar lang.
"Huwag ka nang magalit, Lando. It's okay." Gaya ni Bhea.
"Gusto mo share tayo? Sa'yo na lang 'yung isa." Paubaya ni Yshie at nilalapit niya ang dibdib nito kay Lando.
"Putaragis! Jombagin ko kayong lahat e!"
Natawa kami.
"Pahawak na lang pala ng ano mo." Sabi ni Ehseng at aakmang hahawakan ang lawit niya.
"KYAAAAAHHH! Huwag niyo na nga akong isali!" Tampo niya at naghalukipkip.
"Asus, baka ang gusto mo ikaw na lang parati ang taya para makadakma? Hiya ka pa sabihin. Pwede naman e." Asar ko.
"Oo nga. Try to touch me, daddy." Asar ni Yshie at inilalapit ang dibdib nito sa kaniya.
"Ewww! You're seducing me."
"Bakit tumayo na ba?" Asar ni Ehseng.
"Punyetah!"
Zuleen's POV
I AM LINING at the STEM line. We are 24 students in total by one section as I scanned. I was excited hearing the announcement at the stage. It feels there was a wrecking ball inside my head as they mentioned it. I can't believe they are orienting this program in the initial school days. What an earlybird to witness the event. Hindi ito gaya nung nakaraang batch namin na inanunsyo matapos ang unang examination.
The mental question to my X problem is waiting to be executed. This is my first time to be compassionate with my variable.
My beloved X.
I smiled devilishly. My enthusiasm got vanished when the emcee was disrupted to his speech. What is going on?! I looked at our back as I saw chaos. Magugulo ang mga HUMSS. Anong ginagawa nila? Marami na rin ang sumali sa gulo na kagagawan nila at maging ang mga TVL ay nahikayat din. Mga pasimuno ang mga ito. Those Humanista knows how to influence.
"ZSU students, go back to your rooms now." Sabi ng emcee.
I got pissed off to the sudden denouement. There are many information I must to recall on about the program yet they ended the announcement quickly. This is HUMSS' fault! How impudent.
"Zuleen." May tumawag sa akin sa likod ko.
I faced Gelai at my back, my bestfriend. Marami siyang tigyawat sa mukha but it does not cover her beauty. She was my batch mate since we dropout last year. Ngayon lang siya nakapunta, hindi noong enrollment but luckily she have a friend like me who have the sense of responsibility to her negligence to write her stupid name in the name list of STEM.
"Tara na. You're seems stucked in the loop." Aya niya sa akin.
I rolled my eyes as I went with her along the way.
"Why? Do you have any unsolvable equation left in your mind?" Tanong niya na natatawa. Napansin niya ang pagkayamot ko.
"Yes, there is. I cannot solve how many seconds I will spent my precious time with you ruining my day."
"Ang harsh ah, haha. Ganon talaga kapag magkaibigan. You cannot add a value without lessening the other one." Hagikgik niya. I don't know how many factorial do I get when I am with her. We always calculate everything equally.
I hissed at her.
Pumasok na kami sa building namin at dumiretso sa pasilyo.
"Saan ba 'yung room natin? Saang banda?"
"The distance of our room is equal to the rate of our step movement by 0.5 meter per sec and not exceedingly within 30 seconds."
"15 meters? Wait, what?! Doon pa rin sa dati?" Sagot agad ni Gel. She promptly calculated the distance. Hindi siya makapaniwala. 'Yung isang room na nasa second floor ang gagamitin namin.
I just nodded.
"Isang section pa rin ang STEM. Hirap talaga ang mga estudyante na makaabot sa strand natin noh. Kaya hindi napapasukan ang mga rooms dito eh, 'yung isang room lang ang halos na nagagamit. I think they must lower their grade standard to occupy all these rooms." Lintanya niya habang sinisipat niya sa gawing bintana ang loob ng mga rooms.
"ZSU doesn't like that notion. They are so fussy to qualify a student."
"If that's the factor, why would they enrolled this stupid batch? Are they working as babysitters now?"
"Silly. The university took these worst batch to make them undergo to the process."
"What is the operation would be?" Tanong niya.
"My X." I said confidently while grinning at her.
She got shocked.
"What are you planning?! Is this another sort of your creating a DIY formula?" Her eyebrows turned into line segments. Once na narinig niya ang X ko, napapraning siya. Alam niyang may binabalak ako na masama.
__(=_=)__
PUMASOK na kami sa loob ng STEM room namin.
"She's here!"
"The crazy girl?!"
Natakot ang mga kaklase ko pagkapasok ko pa lang sa room namin. Nabulabog ko silang lahat.
They are STEM students. All of them were private students so I am expecting they were born spoiled brats and had a bitter attitude to the poor public ones. They seeing me as a crazy woman who got injected by the doses of Dengbaksya.
We just ignored their blatant gossips and attentions. Sumunod si Gel sa akin at umupo sa tabi ko. She was desperately to know my plan.
"Hoy, babae! Sabihin mo nga sa akin, nagbabalak ka na naman ba na ma-dropout ulit?"
Na-dropout na kami noon dahil sa kabulastugang pinaggagawa namin kaya ngayon, nababahala na naman siya sa mga planong binubuo ko. I always bring misfortune to her.
"I will tell you if you're going to help me." I said while maintaining my smile to persuade her.
"Of course, I'm in! You don't have to ask. So what's the value of your X?"
"Did you heard the announcement mentioned about the program?"
"'Yung USG? What about that?! Are you going to join to that stupid gov-!"
Natigilan siya panandalian.
"Oh my gosh! Don't tell me your-!"
I covered her mouth dahil ang ingay niya. "You're sick! How did I end up being a friend with you?! I'm out."
Nakuha ni Gelai agad ang nais kong sabihin. She already knows the objective of my plan.
"How about our linear friendship? You know what friends are for, right? Taking the value to the other one making it equals." Panggagaya ko sa mathematical statement niya kanina.
"Oo na. Basta papakopyahin mo ako palagi sa Basic Calculus. And now we're even!" Sabi niya as she taking advantage to my value.
Napasimangot ako.
Our friendship is like an equivalent equation and linear. It is always equal and always fair-and-square as we tried to operate it.
We hated inequalities.